Watch bracelet

ABSTRACT

A watch bracelet of articulated or continuous construction and a pair of lens receptacles connecting the ends of the bracelet to the opposite sides of a watch, each receptacle having a pocket shaped to receive a lens and a hinged closure provided with a latch member for holding it closed until it is manually opened for the purpose of removing a lens.

United States Patent 1191 Curtis Dec. 25, 1973 WATCH BRACELET 3,268,068 8/1966 Le Grand 206/5 1,714,732 5/1929 Schneider 224/4.5 [76] Invent 17 Barba'ba 2,796,747 6/1957 Ebert 63/19 Danvers, Mass. 01923 Filed: sept- 1972 Primary ExaminerGerald M. Forlenza [21] AppL No; 287,224 Assistant Examiner-Kenneth Noland Related US. Application Data Continuation of Ser. No. 67,043, Aug. 26, 1970, abandoned.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Stalcup 134/156 Attorney-Robert T. Gammons [5 7] ABSTRACT ber for holding it closed until it is manually opened for the purpose of removing a lens.

1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTED DEC 25 I975 2g FIGB 24 sox z ll FIG.4

r. I I" INVENTOR I WATCH BRACELET This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 67,043, filed on Aug. 26, 1970, and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A bracelet comprised of a pluralityof containers linked together is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,442,546. The structure shown therein is a novelty item in the category of costume jewelry designed to enable interchanging links of one kind for another to provide for different combinations of links according to the whim of the wearer. In contrast, the present invention relates to the combination with a watch bracelet, of receptacles for the specific purpose of carrying an extra pair of contact lenses; to astructure especially designed to provide athletes with a convenient, safe and practical means for keeping an extra pair of contact lenses available for use in the event of loss whileparticipating in normal athletic activity; to a structure which can be used in conjunction with a conventional articulated link type bracelet or a continuous leather or fabric band without material alteration thereof or detracting from its appearance; and to a structure which is inexpensive to manufacture and durable.

SUMMARY The combination with a bracelet having ends adapted to be connected to a watch,'of receptacles connected to the bracelet adjacent said ends, comprising parts containing pockets of a configuration adapted to receive the lenses of a pair of contact lenses and closures hingedly connected to the parts, said closures embodying latches by means of which they are held closed until manually disengaged. The bracelet may be of the articulated kind and the parts may comprise links provided with means at their ends for pivotally interconnecting them between the end links of the bracelet and the watch. Optionally, the bracelet may be of a continuous material, such as leather or fabric, and the parts may be attached to the band at the ends adjacent the watch.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing portions of a watch bracelet and the lens receptacles interposed between the ends of the bracelet and the watch;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an elevation of a receptacle attached to a continuous band as distinguished from an articulated bracelet;

FIG. 6 is a section through a sheet metal receptacle; and

FIG. 7 is a section through a plastic receptacle wherein the closure, lugs and ferrule are integral.

Referring to the figures, there is shown a watch case 10, portions of an articulated watch bracelet l2 and interposed between the ends of the watch and the ends of the bracelet receptacles 14.

The watch case has spaced parallel lugs l6l6 containing hinge pin holes 18-18 and the ends of the bracelet have ferrules 20.

In accordance with this invention the lens-receiving receptacles 14 are interposed between the watch and the ends of the articulated bracelet and are provided for this purpose at one end with spaced lugs 22-22 and at their opposite ends with a ferrule 24. The lugs 22-22 are adapted to receive the ferrules 20 at the ends of the bracelet and to be pivotally connected thereto by a hinge pin 26 and the ferrule 24 is adapted to be connected between the lugs l6l6 and to be pivotally connected thereto by a hinge pin 28.

Each receptacle (FIGS. 3 and 4) comprises a block containing a concave pocket 30 adapted to receive a lens 32. A closure 34 is provided at the top of the block to cover the pocket and is connected thereto at one end by means of a hinge 36 and hinge pin 36b. The opposite end of the closure has a friction latch 38 operable, by frictional engagement with the end of the block between the lugs 22--22, to hold the closure in its closed position. A lip 40, integral with the closure and extendingforwardly from the latch, provides convenient means for disengaging the latch to lift the cover to an open position.

As herein illustrated, the receptacle is fabricated by casting, machining, or the like, to provide a structure which is rigid with the lugs and ferrule integral therewith. As thus constructed, the surface of the concave recess is coated or covered with a cushion layer 30a.

Optionally, the receptacle may be comprised of sheet metal suitably cut and folded to the desired configuration and the sheet metal box thus formed is provided with a cushion member 30b which has in its upper surface a shallow concave recess 30c.

Instead of interposing the receptacles between the watch and the ends of the bracelet, the receptacles may be fastened to the links of the bracelet, in which case the last link of the bracelet at each side would have to be at least as long as the receptacle. The bracelet may be of the unexpandable or expandable link type. Optionally, as shown in FIG. 5, which, illustrates a continuous band 42 instead of an articulated bracelet, for example, a leather or fabric band, the receptacles may be provided with tabs 44 extending from the bottom which are adapted to be folded beneath the band and clinched or they may be riveted to the band or attached thereto by high strength adhesive.

To enable easily identifying the lenses, the closures of the receptacles are labeled with the letters R and L to indicate right and left and to further identify and distinguish the right from the left the cover of the receptacle containing the right lens has an identifying bulls-eye circle colored red while that at the left has no such identifying mark.

While receptacles comprised of metal are preferred, plastic receptacles may be employed to advantage for economy of manufacture is important and appearance is secondary. As illustrated in FIG. 6 the entire receptacle comprising the body, lugs, ferrule, closure and hinge may be formed integral.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a watch bracelet and watch having spaced ears on both ends, a pair of links in the form of relatively flat structures having hinge means at their opposite ends for hingedly connecting them one at each side of the watch between the watch and the ends of the bracelet at that side, and each link for this purpose having at one end spaced ears and at the other end a tongue, said spaced ears and tongue being complementary and containing holes for receiving pintle pins for respectively connecting them to corresponding complementary tongues of the bracelet and spaced ears of the watch, and each link having intermediate its ends an upwardly facing circular cavity of concave configuration centered in the link such that there is peripherally thereof a flat bearing surface, said cavity being adapted to hold a lens and containing a soft, nonabrasive lining, a flat cover plate coextensive with said flat bearing surface, the depth of the cavity being such that when the cover plate is engaged with said bearing surface it will confine the lens in the cavity, means pivotally connecting the cover plate at one end to the end of the link connected to the watch, said cover plate having spaced parallel flanges at its opposite sides which slidably engage the sides of the link, a latch member at the distal end of the cover plate, perpendicular to said end adapted to be resiliently and frictionally engaged with the end of the link connected to the bracelet, a lip comprising an extension of the cover at said distal end by means of which the cover may be grasped to disengage the latch and indicia on the respective cover plates comprising a large R within a circle on the cover plate indicative of the receptacle adapted to contain the right lens and a large L on the cover plate of the other container indicative of the left lens of the container adapted to receive the left lens. 

1. In combination with a watch bracelet and watch having spaced ears on both ends, a pair of links in the form of relatively flat structures having hinge means at their opposite ends for hingedly connecting them one at each side of the watch between the watch and the ends of the bracelet at that side, and each link for this purpose having at one end spaced ears and at the other end a tongue, said spaced ears and tongue being complementary and containing holes for receiving pintle pins for respectively connecting them to corresponding complementary tongues of the bracelet and spaced ears of the watch, and each link having intermediate its ends an upwardly facing circular cavity of concave configuration centered in the link such that there is peripherally thereof a flat bearing surface, said cavity being adapted to hold a lens and containing a soft, non-abrasive lining, a flat cOver plate coextensive with said flat bearing surface, the depth of the cavity being such that when the cover plate is engaged with said bearing surface it will confine the lens in the cavity, means pivotally connecting the cover plate at one end to the end of the link connected to the watch, said cover plate having spaced parallel flanges at its opposite sides which slidably engage the sides of the link, a latch member at the distal end of the cover plate, perpendicular to said end adapted to be resiliently and frictionally engaged with the end of the link connected to the bracelet, a lip comprising an extension of the cover at said distal end by means of which the cover may be grasped to disengage the latch and indicia on the respective cover plates comprising a large R within a circle on the cover plate indicative of the receptacle adapted to contain the right lens and a large L on the cover plate of the other container indicative of the left lens of the container adapted to receive the left lens. 